Archbishop Gregory Holley

Prepare, Prepare, Prepare by Dr. Hugh H. Morgan

Dr. Hugh H. Morgan currently writes a newsletter you can subscribe to at www.hughsnews.com . This fascinating writer will encourage everyday in everyway! The third most popular newsletter is a commentary that Hugh entitled "Five Loaves and Two Fish are Never Enough Until You Give it Away." Go read it today!! 

Amos 4:12, "Prepare to meet your God."

Isaiah 55:6-7, "Seek the Lord while you can find Him. Call upon Him now while He is near. Let men cast off their wicked deeds; let them banish from their minds the very thought of doing wrong! Let them turn to the Lord that He may have mercy upon them, and to our God for He will abundantly pardon."

Editor's commentary on today's Scriptures written in Amos and Isaiah

On Christmas Day 2008, Melvine, Greg, Stephanie and I were anchored on the high seas on the Norwegian Sky Cruise Ship somewhere between Nassau in the Bahamas and Miami, FL. It was a beautiful day after three days of stormy weather. The sky was pristine blue and there were no clouds in the sky. The ocean was calm with gentle waves flashing white foam as they kissed the morning air.

I found a sanctuary on the fourth floor in an area where there was a grand piano and cushioned chairs with a glass wall separating that room from the outside of the ship. It was a time of reading, reflection, and listening to God in the stillness of this divine moment.

Although I did not hear an audible voice of God, He did speak in my heart which I call my spirit. It is there God speaks to me through His Word and makes it come alive. It is in my spirit that I truly believe what God reveals to me.

Here is the Word God gave me:

     Prepare

         Prepare

             Prepare

I immediately thought of a Scripture that I had heard over and over again in my childhood and youth from a mentally challenged man. He was known as Amos 4:12, and often was invited to give his testimony on the Gospel Hour radio broadcast over WSGN hosted by Frank Johnson, a gifted local evangelist. That message was, "Prepare to meet your God."

This Scripture verse may be speaking to you today as you become aware that we are living in the endtimes and the soon coming of our blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It pays to be ready for that climatic event that will surely come as it has been prophesied.

In addition, we need to prepare to help others. The days and years ahead of us may be difficult even severe. We may be called upon to make special sacrifices as our economy continues to crumble. However, God is still sovereign, and He is still Lord. In spite of the present recession, God will provide for us. As He does, we need to continue tithing and giving. Planting seed in times like these will reap an abundant harvest. The law of seedtime and harvest work best in times of famine and drought. Don't be afraid to give, and to give joyfully out of gratitude to God for providing for all our needs.

Isaiah is indeed an evangelist. He writes:
"Seek the Lord while you can find Him. Call upon Him now while He is near. Let men cast off their wicked deeds; let them banish from their minds the very thought of doing wrong! Let them turn to the Lord that He may have mercy upon them, and to our God for He will abundantly pardon" (Isaiah 55:6-7).

The ideal time to seek the Lord is when the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Holy Trinity, is wooing our hearts. His work and ministry is "to convince or convict the world in respect of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment to come" (John 16:8). Today is the day of salvation, the accepted time to come to Christ.

It is time to cast off wicked deeds. It is interesting and thought provoking these words of wisdom, ". . . let them banish from their minds the very thought of doing wrong." What a powerful Word when we are faced with any temptation to do wrong.

The great truth is that our God will abundantly pardon. What an incredible gift of God. He does the forgiving and pardoning of all our sins based on the merits of the sacrificial death of His dear son, Jesus Christ. He makes all things new for us. He not only redeems but restores us.

I would like to invite you to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior today! "For it is by believing in your heart that a man or woman becomes right with God; and with his/her mouth he tells others of his faith, confirming his/her salvation. For the Scriptures tell us that no one who believes in Christ will ever be disappointed" (Romans 10:10-11, The Living Bible).

Sudden Ghosts in Life by Os Hillman

Os Hillman wrote this in Today God is First (TGIF) on the www.bmfusa.com site where you can subscribe daily to his writings. Enjoy!

 

When the disciples saw Him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. - Matthew 14:26

Have you ever had some unexpected event happen in your life that caused great fear? Sudden calamities can result in great fear unless we know Who is behind the event. Such was the case for the disciples when they were out in their boat at night. Suddenly, they saw a figure walking on the water and assumed it was a ghost. They feared for their very lives. But as the figure got closer and closer, they could see that it was Jesus. Their fear turned to joy because now they knew whom they were confronting. This seemingly life-threatening event turned into one of the great miracles of the Bible. Peter was invited to walk on the water -- and he did just that.

Many times we have events in our lives that appear to be ghosts. For me, it was a period in my life when I experienced family loss, loss of my finances, and 80 percent of my business -- all in a matter of a few months. These were the ghosts that instilled fear and great turmoil in my life. But after two years in this desert experience, God revealed His true purposes for these events. He turned them from being a place of fear, to a place of miracles. He led me to a totally new calling in my life, and He demonstrated to me that He was behind the storm that led to these new discoveries. The events were real. The emotions I went through were real. I had to hold fast to the reality that nothing can touch us without passing through God's sifter. He allows only that which is necessary to touch us. And if it does, it has a purpose. But we may not know it for a while.

Global Aid Partnership arrives in Haiti with Relief!

Global Aid Partnership, founded by Dr.John Greiner recently sought our help in making available medical and relief supplies available to Haiti.  Below is their newlsetter. For those of you who wish to support him in the goals of  Global Aid Partnership, contact James Buntrock ( jamesbuntrock@globalaidusa.org ) and he will guide you in your giving!  Bishop

**************************************************************************

Haitians are feeling more of God's care for them, thanks to this month's shipment of aid we sent to the island nation through Global Aid Partnership. Pending government approval, distribution should begin soon*. It includes about 600,000 servings of food staples along with $225,000 worth of needed medical supplies.

Royce Rex and James Buntrock were onsite in Haiti to receive the goods and meet with many of the pastors and medics set to hand them out. "These people are solid," James reported, "and they have a big vision for Haiti." Prompted by Rev. Max Manning, about 40 functioning apostles representing some 2000 churches came to hear our vision. "They were up on their feet whooping and hollering," James said. "When Pastor comes for a minister's conference, I'd expect a big reception."

Nurse Lori Moise runs The Grace of the Good Samaritan Health Center, a clinic in Cazale that will benefit from the medical aid. The staff there sees as many as 500 people a day, many of them children on the brink of starvation. "The food staples are wonderful," said nurse Lori Moise. "They will be a big blessing in this time of hunger. And the medical supplies, too, since many are still fighting sickness."

Dixie Bickel, director of God's Littlest Angels, an orphanage and clinic outside Pétionville is thrilled, too. "You can't find clean bandages in Haiti, and we're low," she said. One patient, Djemy, 2, suffered from a flesh-eating bacteria that claimed nearly half his nose. "He'll need these dressings until he can get reconstructive surgery in California." Of the rice received, Bickel intends to carry much of it to a nearby community suffering effects from Hurricane Ike. "This will help while they replant coffee and banana crops."

Thanks to all who had a part! The goods will save lives, but the gospel we planted can save the nation. More ahead.

*For three weeks, our container has sat unopened in Port-Au-Prince mired in red tape. Thanks for your prayers! Armed with a new tactic, we now expect full release within a couple more weeks. During our visit, we were still able to distribute the last of the rice remaining from our last shipment and form great bonds with those who are set to receive more. God is redeeming.

Pastor Asteral Vincen was rescued off the streets of Cité Soleil at age 10 by Rev. Manning. Though his education could afford him escape, he chooses to live and minister there. He has a thriving church of about 500, and other pastors look to him for guidance.

Residents of Cité Soleil, an area known for poverty and violence, have an unusual food supplement: cakes baked from dirt and shortening, shown here. This child's skin and hair show signs of a rampant and dangerous protein deficiency.

Where Have All The Leaders Gone?

Susan Young of Transforming Life Center (tlc4women.com) is one of our fascinating friends in California and she sent this to me this morning! Enjoy!

Remember Lee Iacocca, the man who rescued Chrysler Corporation from its death throes? He's now 82 years old and has a new book, 'Where Have All The Leaders Gone?'.


Lee Iacocca Says: 


'Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder! We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, 'Stay the course.'


Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America , not the damned, 'Titanic'. I'll give you a sound bite: 'Throw all the bums out!' 


You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this country anymore.


The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs. While we're fiddling in Iraq , the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving 'pom-poms' instead of asking hard questions. That's not the promise of the ' America ' my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for. I've had enough. How about you? 


I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're not outraged. This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have. The Biggest 'C' is Crisis ! (Iacocca elaborates on nine C's of leadership, with crisis being the first.)


Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It's easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory. Or send someone else's kids off to war when you've never seen a battlefield yourself. It's another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down.


On September 11, 2001 , we needed a strong leader more than any other time in our history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes. A hell of a mess, so here's where we stand.


We're immersed in a bloody war with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving. 


We're running the biggest deficit in the history of the country. 


We're losing the manufacturing edge to Asia , while our once-great companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs. 


Gas prices are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent energy policy. Our schools are in trouble. 


Our borders are like sieves. 


The middle class is being squeezed every which way. 


These are times that cry out for leadership.


But when you look around, you've got to ask: 'Where have all the leaders gone?' Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are the people of character, courage, conviction, omnipotence, and common sense? I may be a sucker for alliteration, but I think you get the point.


Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo?


We've spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened.


Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina. Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the hurricane or demanding accountability for the decisions that were made in the crucial hours after the storm. 


Everyone's hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn't happen again. Now, that's just crazy. Storms happen. Deal with it. Make a plan. Figure out what you're going to do the next time.


Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have believed that there could ever be a time when 'The Big Three' referred to Japanese car companies? How did this happen, and more important, what are we going to do about it?


Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the debit, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem. The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry. 


I have news for the gang in Congress. We didn't elect you to sit on your asses and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is being hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity. What is everybody so afraid of? That some bonehead on Fox News will call them a name? Give me a break. Why don't you guys show some spine for a change?


Had Enough? Hey, I'm not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I'm trying to light a fire. I'm speaking out because I have hope - I believe in America . In my lifetime, I've had the privilege of living through some of America 's greatest moments. I've also experienced some of our worst crises: The 'Great Depression,' 'World War II,' the 'Korean War,' the 'Kennedy Assassination,' the 'Vietnam War,' the 1970's oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years culminating with 9/11.


If I've learned one thing, it's this: 'You don't get anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action. Whether it's building a better car or building a better future for our children, we all have a role to play. That's the challenge I'm raising in this book. It's a "Call to Action" for people who, like me, believe in America '. It's not too late, but it's getting pretty close. So let' s shake off the crap and go to work. Let's tell 'em all we've had 'enough.'

Happy New Year to all! Gayla and I are taking a much needed 'go slow' in Florida preparing for the upcoming season! Be blessed!